1 Kings 20:10

10 And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, `Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who [are] at my feet.'

1 Kings 20:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:10

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said
That is, to Ahab:

the gods do so unto me, and more also;
bring greater evils upon me than I can think or express:

if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people
that follow me,
signifying that he made no doubt of it of reducing it to dust by numbers of men he should bring with him, which would be so many, that if each was to take an handful of dust of the ruins of Samaria, there would not enough for them all; which was an hectoring and parabolical speech, uttered in his wrath and fury.

1 Kings 20:10 In-Context

8 And all the elders and all the people say unto him, `Do not hearken, nor consent.'

9 And he saith to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, `Say to my lord the king, All that thou didst send for unto thy servant at the first I do, and this thing I am not able to do;' and the messengers go and take him back word.

10 And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, `Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who [are] at my feet.'

11 And the king of Israel answereth and saith, `Speak ye: let not him who is girding on boast himself as him who is loosing [his armour].'

12 And it cometh to pass at the hearing of this word -- and he is drinking, he and the kings, in the booths -- that he saith unto his servants, `Set yourselves;' and they set themselves against the city.